USY's community service

Midbar Kodesh Temple’s United Synagogue Youth (USY) members packaged bins of household goods for distribution to teenagers who are aging out of the foster care system and looking towards independent adulthood.

Step Up, a program of the Clark County Social Services, provides guidance to students aging out of the Clark County foster care program, helping them to transition from foster care to economic self-sufficiency by providing them with goods and services including case management, housing, employment, education, transportation and other services. For several years, Midbar Kodesh Temple’s USY has provided bins of new household goods to help the Step Up teens get a good start in their new homes.

Go Live was created by Midbar Kodesh past president Amy Fieldman. Thanks to Go Live, they are provided with a container that includes the necessary items to start living on their own, such as linens, cleaning supplies, pots and pans, utensils, and bedding. The items for the bins are generously donated by a grant from the David L. Simon Foundation.

Social action is at the core of Midbar Kodesh Temple’s mission. These values influence programming at the synagogue, and are taught to students of all ages.

Midbar Kodesh Temple USYers are teens 7th through 12th grade who meet together twice monthly for lounge nights and social activities. Leadership training, religious education, Israel connections, social action/tikkun olam and just for fun activities are on the agenda. The teens also have the opportunity to travel to synagogues in their 5 state region and have spent Shabbat in Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Tucson and at Camp Ramah-Ojai and Camp Alonim.

For more information on USY at Midbar Kodesh Temple, contact Steven Doctors at

702-454-4848.